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7 reasons to choose cork infills

Granulated cork has been increasingly used as an infill in artificial turf systems, offering significant advantages over plastic- or rubber-based synthetic infills.

Main benefits of cork-based or cork infill

1. Functional suitability and comfort

Given cork’s natural touch and feel, synthetic turf with cork-based or cork infill is the closest thing to natural turf and offers great playing conditions. In addition, for avoiding overheating during use, a cork infill makes a positive contribution to players’ performance and comfort, given its ability to absorb moisture, absence of agglutinated granules, neutral odour, as well as a more natural look and feel than synthetic infills.

2. Sustainability

Cork is a renewable and recyclable product, of a 100% natural origin. As tree bark, cork contributes to CO2 retention. During the production process of the infill, all generated waste is reusable and, in the end-of-life treatment of a turf system, cork is the type of infill that releases the lowest amount of CO2.

3. Contamination-free

All materials used in the production process of Amorim Cork Composites’ infills are 100% free from any chemical contamination, in accordance with REACH regulations, and do not show any traces of potentially harmful substances.

4. Reduction of surface temperature

Since cork has low heat absorption when exposed to light, cork-based or cork infills reduce the turf’s surface temperature by up to 30%, when compared to other infill solutions, ensuring conditions for comfortable use, all year round.

5. Greater safety in sports activities

Artificial turf with a cork infill offers major impact absorption capacity and presents considerable adherence in various atmospheric conditions. These properties reduce the risk of falling or slippage and, consequently, the risk of abrasion.

6. Durability

Cork is extremely flexible and highly resistant to moisture, oxidation and deterioration, thanks to the suberin coating of its granules. These characteristics reduce wear and tear and ensure the quality of the artificial turf system for a longer period of time.

7. Reduced installation and maintenance costs

Due to cork’s low density, cork infills are substantially lighter and produce less splash than rubber-based infills. As a result, during installation, less infill per square metre will deliver the same results and there is less need for maintenance. In addition, an artificial turf system with cork infill requires less water during sprinkling, prior to the game and at breaks, to maintain the ideal surface temperature.